Hostal de la Barra

The woman at reception was kind and really tried to understand my broken Spanish, even though she didn’t speak English. She couldn’t see availability for the coming weeks, which seemed odd, and the manager was nowhere around. I was only there to discover I’d accidentally booked three weeks too early. I was willing to move the dates because the hotel was full, but they don’t refund, even with three weeks’ notice. I left unsure what would happen to the reservation and found a lovely place farther from the beach. After a day or two, I changed my booking on booking.com, without ever hearing from the hotel manager. When I eventually came back, I was glad to be near the beach again, but my payment wouldn’t go through. They gave up quickly and said my card was dead, even though I’d used it 20 minutes earlier. The manager or owner still wasn’t there. I doubt he ever is, which is strange in high season, when just one person was left at the desk without the tools to do her job properly. They said they couldn’t accept the card and would keep the $400 charge I’d agreed to when booking. I was shocked they’d pursue it and say nothing could be done. Right after that, another hotel charged the same card successfully, and at a higher price. Avoid this place. They don’t seem to know how to run a business with proper service, and the whole thing caused unnecessary stress on my trip.

The sunrise views are lovely, and the breakfast was delicious. This beautiful little property in La Barra also had friendly staff who spoke excellent English. Good value for the money.

My room was clean, with a large bed and a fridge, and parking was easy. It was $70, though a bit noisy right on the main street. I came in the off-season and think I was the only guest. I was tired of wandering around the area and didn’t feel like heading to a city after Montvideo. Tourists should know that many hotels and restaurants close this time of year. The ones that stay open generally don’t open until 8 p.m.

Overrated, though it’s average 😔